Running Up That Hill
by Candy Apple Heart Attack
Summary: Mello finds out Light has been lying to him in more ways than one. The volatile blonde has a murderous plan, but what will happen when darker forces at play act on their own agendas? MelloXNear, vague LXLight, implied MelloXLight. Character death. - AU
1. It Doesn't Hurt Me

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Death Note or "Running Up That Hill" by Placebo. This isn't a songfic – I just see a certain scene developing in my mind's eye to the lyrics and music of a song and I write it down, hoping the reader will listen to the song as they read and grasp the magnitude of the scene. The Kate bush version (a.k.a The original) is awful, in my opinion. I hate it…I love the Placebo version. Listen to it and read!

**Summary:** Mello finds out Light has been lying to him in more ways than one. The volatile blonde has a murderous plan, but what will happen when darker forces at play act on their own agendas? MelloXNear, vague LXLight, implied MelloXLight. Character death and a bit of blasphemy.

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**Running Up That Hill**

**Chapter 1: It Doesn't Hurt Me**

Mello hadn't believed what that twit Near had shown him and told him until he had seen it with his own eyes. Now, he had no other choice but to believe. He didn't want to believe though. Not that…and certainly not about him.

That bastard had lied to him.

That beautiful, elegant, self-righteous, murderous bastard had had the gall to make love to him while covering a slew of unforgivable lies. That perfect cretin had used him.

God damn Light Yagami for lying about not being Kira and loving someone else. Especially when that someone was none other than Mello's own Aniki, his nii-san…

L-nii-san. The man Mello had always looked up to, the man whom Mello had been raised to replace, the man who meant so much to him.

That despicable Light Yagami had charmed and brainwashed L-nii-san and taken him away from Mello, from a world that needed him, from the people that loved him.

God damn Light Yagami, that beautiful liar with the face of an angel and the heart of a devil, the murderous bastard who had never failed to steal Mello's breath with each of his kisses and caresses, the delusional son of a bitch who had made love to Mello for so many nights until he couldn't utter a single word. The drop-dead gorgeous jerk who had redefined life and pleasure for Mello had betrayed him.

Mello did not want to believe, but the evidence was there, clear and tangible as day. Inviolate, real.

On the screen before him, tangible and clear, was the damning evidence against Light Yagami. There on the screen, images of the lovely brunette pounding into L-nii-san with erotic abandon screamed of bold-faced betrayal and impending heartache.

From that screen, the sounds of L-nii-san's ecstasy as Light consumed him inch by inch emanated like tidal waves threatening to tear down the walls of the small surveillance room. Each screamed 'I love you' coming from L-nii-san or Light opened a fresh wound somewhere deep inside Mello – somewhere where Mello's fury could not reach and lick the wound so it didn't smart as badly. Watching the two most important people in his life fuck each other into an incoherent pile of shudders was both inconceivable and hurtful for Mello to process… it was simply intolerable.

It was something he wished wasn't true.

Something he wished wasn't true because it would spare him all the rage coursing through him like a vile poison intent on killing him slowly. Mello wished it wasn't true because then he wouldn't be hearing echoes in his head of all the loving lies he had been told, he wouldn't be shaking with hate, he wouldn't be tearing out his hair and clawing at his eyes in frustration and shock, his head wouldn't be full of murderous plots revolving around retribution if Light's betrayal wasn't true.

If Near had been lying to him, the decision to blast Light out of existence would have never been made in the blink of Mello's grey-blue eyes.

But Mello knew better than that. Near was not lying. And the decision had been made.

The betrayal was there and the damage was done. There was enough substantial evidence for Mello to prosecute Light. The where and how were just a matter of time.

Kira would have his judgment come to him soon enough – and he was going to pay dearly for every single one of his sins.

_Lying._

_Adultery._

_Murder._

_Manipulation._

_Arrogance._

_Breaking Mello's trust._

_Inciting Mello's apocalyptic rage._

_Loving L-nii-san._

But most importantly,

_Not loving Mello as he had once said he did._

Oh, the bastard would pay – and a trial by fire was to be his sentence and bitter end.

L-nii-san's moans, groans, and declarations tore at Mello's ears with a strength that reached down to his very soul to hack up pieces of him slowly and effectively. The mercurial blonde couldn't help but admit that Aniki's screams sounded a lot like his own when he had been under Light and his sensuous spell. Jealousy thundered in his heart, rendering him unable to scream in agony. He didn't want to hear, he didn't want to see, he didn't want to feel, he didn't want to believe.

Mello had forgotten that Near was inside the surveillance room with him, sitting behind him on the couch with one of his legs propped up as was his usual fashion, fingers twirling his snowy locks anxiously. The person who had brought the truth to the light was in the same room with him, waiting for him to make sense of the whole thing and grasp the concept of treason. At the moment, Mello's old hatred of Near seemed to have died or gone somewhere to allow the grudge against Light Yagami fester inside Mello's tempestuous heart. Mello wanted to strangle someone and surprisingly, Near didn't even register in his radar. He wondered why.

That was, until the white-haired boy cleared his throat and offered Mello a tissue to dry his demented, unfocused eyes. Mello snatched the flimsy paper tissue from Near rudely and crumpled it into a tight ball. Mello didn't want to dry his tears – he wanted to shed them all so he could make Light pay for every single one of them.

Tears were a small price to pay for sweet revenge.

The pain of betrayal had wakened in Mello a thirst for revenge; a thirst that was quickly reaching criminal heights.

Criminal enough to kill.

Criminal enough to make Mello's body go taut with paralyzing hate and his jaw quiver dangerously as he continued to watch L-nii-san and Light on the surveillance screen, unable to tear his eyes away from the horrendous spectacle. Bile threatened to burn a hole in his throat, but Mello fought back against the nauseating feeling of revulsion rising in him.

Mello growled at the screen until Near had the foresight to turn off the screen. Mello had had enough revelations for one day and Near had had enough of the sickly displays of human emotion for the rest of his life.

"You had better sit down, Mello." Near made his words sound as a request rather than an order, keeping in mind the state the blonde was in.

Mello threw a warning glare at the small white-haired boy sitting half-crouched on the wide black couch in front of him. The couch was the only black object inside the otherwise all white room. Mello was the only tainted person in the otherwise untainted room. Near did not speak, favoring to stare at Mello intensely instead of saying anything. Those inquisitive dark eyes of Near were unnerving Mello and making his skin sizzle with self-conscious discomfort.

Mello refused to let his teary eyes settle on the child-pest breathing his same air and tried to focus on his surroundings. Everything was white and painstakingly organized except for the scattered Legos on the tile floor and the lonely Transformers action figure resting dejectedly in a corner of the room by the door. The only sounds coming from inside the room were the soft timed beeps of the surveillance equipment, the hum of a small refrigerator tucked away under a shelf somewhere farther into the room, and the sound of Mello's rapid breathing. Near's even breaths didn't even register.

Mello tried to focus all his attention on the abandoned toys but Near was making it impossible because he kept patting an empty space on the couch, gesturing for Mello to sit down. The rustling sound of Near's palm slapping the couch fabric was grating irritably on Mello's frazzled nerves.

"Stop doing that!" Mello bellowed and Near froze in his tracks with his hand in the air, awaiting Mello's own to lash out and strike him.

But that did not happen.

Instead, Mello flung himself at the couch all of a sudden and Near barely had enough time to get his small hand out of the way. The blonde landed on the couch with a muffled thud and shielded his face with shaking hands as if they could hold his face together, as if they could keep him from falling apart. The rage and grief in the slender blonde was so tangible Near could taste it – bitter and acrid like unprocessed chocolate.

The younger boy could see Mello's face contorting and twisting into grimaces through his fingers. Awkwardly, but with good intent, Near inched closer to Mello and wrapped his arms around Mello's shoulders. The blonde gasped and tensed up in reaction to the unexpected intrusion, but his surprise quickly melted into anger and he hissed at Near

"Get your hands off me."

Near didn't move from where he was nor stopped what he was doing – his arms were still around Mello and the younger boy's chest was pressed against one of Mello's bare shoulders. Mello could have rammed his shoulder into Near's chest to push the pajama-clad boy off him, but he was far too petrified by rage and pain to do anything. The blonde let himself be engulfed by Near's out-of-character embrace, barely breathing, lost to the maelstrom of feelings and ever so confused by them.

In Near's arms, Mello reflected upon his history with Light and the events that had led to this letdown, and when he had finished taking that bittersweet trip down memory lane, his tears reached past the point of suffocation and the blonde broke down, sobbing messily into Near's soft arms, crying himself empty of sorrow, but not of resentment.

(0o0)

Mello had met Light by chance at a little Japanese candy store about a mile away from the heart of the metropolis. Light had been waiting for L to select a large assortment of sweets when he crossed paths with Mello, who was looking for a particular brand of chocolate he couldn't get anywhere else in the country but in that little shop; both had recognized each other as both were involved in the same case (L had decided for some strange reason to partially bow out of the investigation and brought in Near and Mello to work on the case while he and Light worked on it as well. Mello had obviously refused to work with Near and had gone solo, infiltrating Near's database and checking out any leads he was able to reason out on his own research with the mafia).

L had been angry at Mello for running out on him instead of working with Near and therefore Mello had left the shop just before L-nii-san could catch a glimpse of him. Mello still had some respect for his big brother and did not want to cause an ugly scene. Even though he had left abruptly, he had been able to get a good look at Light and eventually tracked him down to his family's house where he was spending a holiday weekend with them. He had had a hunch about Light back then, but he hadn't known what it was – he just knew he had to see the honey-eyed man again.

Mello had snuck into Light's room through the window one night and Light pinned him to the bed as soon as he realized there was an intruder in his room. The brunette had demanded to know why Mello had come looking for him. Mello hadn't known what to say so he had kissed Light and the brunette had kissed him back ardently. For someone so brilliant and cunning, Mello had forgot his sense quite quickly and taken a turn for the strange.

Mello had been spellbound and his resolve to dominate the one he had come to dominate had vanished in a puff of smoke.

Light had pushed him out the window following the kiss and had told him to wait for him outside. He had heard Light tell his mother he was going for a walk and within minutes, Light had grabbed Mello by the neck and dragged him to a deserted alley where they had wrestled their names out of each other until, inevitably, their fighting had turned into kissing and groping at some point in time.

Neither Mello nor Light could deny that there was a very magnetic attraction between the both of them that surpassed the limits of reason, at least for Mello anyway. Yagami's beauty and brilliancy had sparked his interest in more than one way and Mello had made it his goal to have the Yagami boy at his feet. Little did Mello know that it would be him who would surrender to Light so easily. Little did he know that it would be who would wind up bent over a trash can screaming Light's name and begging for more.

The one he had come to dominate had overpowered him without even saying a word. All it had taken had been a kiss and a couple of twists, turns and thrusts. And it was done. Mello was his.

Light had walked away, leaving Mello gasping for breath and savoring a lingering kiss on his bruised lips. After that, Mello had been looking for more…he craved it now, he needed it, and he couldn't have a moment of peace without it.

His nights were dark, tormenting and endless when Light's body wasn't shaping his like willing putty before a roaring flame. His days were unbearable when he could not feel the bruising sting of Light's kiss and possession lingering from a previous night of debauchery. His mind was a maelstrom of madness when there were no fresh memories of the godly body stretched out beside his. Chocolate was sweeter when Light's presence permeated him and enveloped in his sensuous swansong; without him, the cocoa was ash on his tongue and the alcohol dry and bitter, tainted by the sting of loneliness.

Mello had begun frequenting the places Light went to and shadowed his every move, unable to get enough of the electric charm and radiance the Yagami youth emanated so effortlessly. Even if all he got from Light was one look or a minute peek, Mello would be appeased enough until nightfall, where he was free to seek out his Light and set himself afire with the infectious brunette under the comfortable cover of the night.

The stakes were considerably higher every time they met, but Mello outwitted people and defied fate by sneaking into the Japanese Task Force Headquarters after hours to steal a moment from time to have light with him and within him. It was dark and lonely without him.

Then Aniki had died and the only person who had been able to provide him with comfort and reassurance had been none other than Light Yagami. After L-nii-sans death he had come to need light more than ever – he was the only remaining link to his deceased brother and the cure for all the ailments of his impure soul. If there weren't other goals at hand, he would abandon it all just to be at Light's side.

He had thought about it many a lonely night and had wanted to throw it all away, but there was a tiny thread of reason that kept him grounded to the road before him. He had settled for the furtive midnight rendezvous.

Until now. The midnight rendezvous had come to an abrupt end the moment Mello had discovered the gruesome truth.

Everything had suddenly come undone, crashing down to a messy fall.

(0o0)

Mello couldn't help but wonder if he hadn't been good enough for Light, if he had done something wrong…but no matter what kind of question he asked himself, the answer did not add up – the answer was that Light Yagami was a murderer, a liar and a cheat. The answer fit none of the questions haunting Mello's mind. It just spawned more.

Mello was hurt because he had come to love Light with more devotion than it was healthy; his love bordered in the obsessive and he had taken the blow of his life when Light's true love had been revealed. The discovery was yet another low blow at his ego – once again, Mello had fallen short of victory, he was once again second best.

If Light was the only one for Mello, why couldn't Mello be the only one for Light?

In truth, Mello didn't give a damn if Light was Kira – Mello had wanted to take Kira's place and keep the notebook for himself in the first place and he had no qualms about killing people, innocent or guilty, if it got him closer to his goals. What had pushed him over the edge enough to make him want to kill Light was that Yagami had taken someone else to his bed that wasn't Mello – it hurt that the man to whom Light had given his heart to was none other than his big brother. Someone he couldn't just kill, someone whom he loved very much as well. He wanted to catch Kira because Kira had wronged him and because it would prove, once and for all, that he was not always second in line. He would be the victor. He would catch Kira and destroy him, even if it killed him inside. Or outside. He didn't give a damn which one.

Heartbreak had taken its toll and all Mello could do was dig his fingers into Near's arms and he held on to the smaller boy for dear life as his tired body sagged against both Near and the couch. His body could not longer cope with his choleric rage and had begun to shut down in the comforting embrace of Near. Mello felt most of his animosity dissipate and a strange feeling of connection settle in when the younger boy laid his head on top of Mello's head and he felt a slight of brush of lips against his golden scalp. Mello sighed and pressed himself closer to Near, wishing he could bottle up that moment and carry it with him forever to comfort him whenever he needed it. It no longer mattered that it was his life-long nemesis who was providing him with comfort; that the boy Mello refused to show weakness to was holding him the way a mother would soothe a scared child.

After a betrayal of that magnitude, not much mattered anymore; nothing was quite right after that.

Mello would have never thought Near capable of any emotion that wasn't apathy. He had never imagined Near could feel empathy, especially toward him after all Mello had put Near through in terms of emotional humiliation and harassment. Mello didn't know how to react to this, didn't know how to react without pushing the pajama-clad boy away. He wanted to say something nice to atone for all past mistreatment and to thank the boy for offering him a shoulder to cry on, but his brain was drawing a blank. Mello wasn't used to being nice, much less to his competition.

Mello was at an absolute loss for what to say.

Mello shifted his position on the couch to face Near, holding the boy's arms in place so he wasn't tempted to let go of Mello. It was strange to be in the arms of someone he hated, but given his situation with Light Yagami, being held by the enemy wasn't a foreign concept anymore. Near pressed himself even closer to Mello and the blonde adjusted his arms to encircle Near more snuggly against his leather-clad body. The feel of Near's pajamas against his shoulders brought back memories of those early days at Wammy's where he had felt safe from the world under the covers, wearing a set of pajamas he could call his own. Now that he was older and Wammy's was behind him, he missed the safety and the routine of the place. He missed home, but Near was there to remind him of it and to offer a small piece of that safety he craved.

If he had been himself then, Mello would have probably gagged at the sight of himself and his nemesis in such a sweet embrace, but he wasn't himself. How could he be after seeing what his eyes had seen?

Somewhere in the haze of memories, Mello felt one of Near's arms slip away from him and he felt the absence greatly. In the short time Near had been hugging him, Mello had gotten used to the weightless feel of the boy's arms – they were almost ghost-like. Mello wondered where Near's hand could have gone until it reappeared holding small square of chocolate in between two fingers. Mello's golden head perked up at the sight of his favorite food and Near looked back and forth between the piece of chocolate and the blonde.

"Open up, Mello."

"Huh?"

Mello opened his mouth just a crack and Near slipped the small bit of chocolate in, the boy's fingers brushing Mello's lips ever so softly. Coming from Near, the whole action was strange – however, Mello found it sensual and his unconscious started to wish for more of where that had come from. And he wasn't thinking so much about the chocolate.

Mello welcomed the heaviness of the cocoa confection on his tongue and he let it melt slowly. The soothing sugar was spreading through his mouth like a lovely venom that coated his tongue and the inside of his cheeks. It made him feel in control, safe, somewhat normal, less tainted.

Mello felt Near's fingers at his lips again, pressing against the pink flesh and delineating the contours of them. Mello put his hand over Near's, holding the boy's fingers over his lips and stared at Near, looking for answers, but as it was always the case with Near, he never offered any. Only more questions.

Always more questions.

Near leaned forward and pressed his lips against his own fingers and Mello's lips. Mello dropped his hand and pulled back, but Near repeated his action, this time the pressing of his lips was firmer and the brushing of their lips was slower. Mello's hormones were too quick to respond and he was already having lustful thoughts and pressing needs.

It was Near, for God's sake. Near. Not Light, not Matt, but Near.

Mello felt the need to protest and make his personal space respected, but it seemed Near wouldn't take no for an answer – in the second Mello had opened his mouth to object, Near had flicked his tongue over Mello's lips and tickled the blonde's tongue in a coy attempt to deepen the kiss. Mello shivered and reflexes acted before he had a chance to decide upon a course of action; his mouth opened more and he kissed Near back, making sure to explore the unchartered territory of the boy's mouth - It wasn't every day that anyone got to say they had been making out with Near.

Mello didn't fare too well when he was confused and kissing Near was a good example of that fact. His actions were irrational, illogical, and impulsive. Mello's first instinct upon kissing Near had been to want to erase every memory of Light Yagami from his skin, from his mouth, from inside him. He had wanted a distraction from his pain and a release to all his frustration and Near was heaven sent in providing it.

Mello's disjointed mind began to scream when Near pushed his weight forward and leaned all the way into Mello until the blonde was laying down on the couch with Near nearly sitting on him. Part of Mello was freaking out over having Near, of all people, on top of him kissing him with unexplained gusto; another part of Mello was surprised and elated at discovering the impossible happening; and another part of him was intent on milking the cow for all it was worth just so he could get rid of Light's spectral presence haunting the corners of his mind.

Near's mouth dislodged itself from Mello's and the older boy opened his eyes to find the reason why Near had stopped kissing him. Mello found Near running his fingers through his golden hair, twirling the locks this way and that as if scoping the texture and silkiness of the strands. In fact, that was what it seemed the white-haired boy was doing. The way the fingers scooped Mello's hair and felt every strand with care was elegant and skillful…it was something way too sensuous for near to grasp, but it was second nature to the boy.

A lot of things about Near were starting to seem like second nature even if Mello knew them to be out of character.

Mello untangled his hand from somewhere in the mélange of bodies and twisted his fingers into Near's snowy hair and pulled the boy's face toward him with brutal force, tearing a whimper from the boy's marble mouth. The blonde silenced him with a searing kiss that left no room for arguing, thinking or staying still. Near's movements were almost helpless and the vulnerability of the boy in such a position made Mello glow with lustful dominance. Light had been had, Near hadn't. His schoolmate was a far more thrilling challenge – less hurtful too. Near was just what he needed to cure his broken pride. Pride he could work right now, his heart would take more time.

Mello's heart could have stopped in its tracks when Near tore himself from his kiss and busied his tiny young hands with the clasps, zippers and buttons of his leather ensemble. Mello would have never imagined it would go this far, much less this way or this fast. This was insanity…but it felt good. Mello threw his head back and wordlessly relinquished control to Near who was working through Mello's clothes as if he was racing to solve a puzzle.

Who would have thought that Near's nerdy quirks would be so arousing and useful?

Mello opened his eyes and watched the spectacle unfold with awe and anticipation– Near's hands were almost blurry from the speed with which they raced through the buttons and the clasps, each movement was so precise and swift it was almost impossible to acknowledge each movement was planned on the spot. Mello's mouth let out an 'oh yeah' loud enough for Near to hear, but the boy didn't even look up as he was too busy with the last zipper – Mello's pants zipper. Saying that Mello was hot and bothered by the turn of events was an understatement: he was more than ready to jump out of his clothes and pounce on the smaller boy who still had his clothes on. But Mello still couldn't move. He was still confused not to mention that Near had, yet again, taken the upper hand and moved first.

He who moved first won.

"Do you want this, Mello?" Near put his face close to Mello's and asked him in an innocent whisper. It was another shock the boy had even bothered to ask Mello's permission.

"Near…" The blonde didn't know what to say; he felt powerless to do anything and even more powerless to feel angry at his helplessness. He just held on to Near by his pajama lapels and trembled with mixed emotions.

"I can help you, Mello…" Near kissed the blonde's nose tenderly and dragged his lips down to Mello's mouth. There, he whispered again, "I can make you forget for a while…" the younger boy lowered his lips to the center of Mello's chest and traced the shape of a heart with his small pink tongue and looked up at Mello when he was finished.

"I have always liked you, Mello. I would never betray you."

Mello could have cried…and he did. He threw his head back as he moaned painfully and let the tears flow free once again. No one had ever said anything of the sort to him…at least anything that sounded true or that was actually true. Maybe he was being too quick to judge Near's words, but his heart felt them to be devoid of ill intentions. Near didn't want to hurt, so his heart said.

Mello felt truly wanted and cared for in the way he had always strived to be loved. And he had found what he had been looking for in the arms of an angel – an enemy who had always been a friend in disguise.

"S-Show me, Near…p-please…" Mello pleaded with Near past his broken sobs. He needed the comfort that Near was offering; he needed to feel like there was some truth left for him to enjoy. Some truth left in the world for him alone.

Truth. Love. For him.

"Yes, Mello. I'll show you anything you want."

Near stepped down from Mello and the couch to remove his pajamas; he knew that if it were up to Mello, nothing of them would remain but the shreds. Near liked Mello, but he also liked his pajamas. He worked the buttons quickly and shed his garments in a hurry just so he could take off Mello's clothes as slowly and lovingly as he wanted to do so. Near didn't fold up his clothes before having sex like Light did and Mello was glad. He wasn't sure if he had been able to continue if Near had done that. He wasn't thinking, but he had definitely noticed the differences between Light and the boy before him.

Mello held on to his tears as he watched the tenderness evident in Near's face as he slid his fingers underneath Mello's leather vest and pulled the garment of the blonde's body gently as if Mello would break. The tender touch of Near was like tiny jolts of electricity dancing on Mello's skin. The quivering the snow-haired youth was causing Mello came in waves that slowly washed away his worries until the only thing left was Mello's desire and needs.

Then, Near slid his hands down to Mello's hips where he stopped and squeezed the flesh appreciatively. It was soft and unblemished, ready to be claimed. Mello, knowing what was about to happen, kicked off his boots clumsily and straightened up his legs as soon as the shoes were off so Near could continue his unraveling. The younger boy curled his fingers around the hem of the blonde's pants and began to pull them down ever so slightly, each millimeter of flesh set afire by friction caused Mello's golden head to thrash and twist with yearning, waiting for the sweet moment in which his pants would be off him. The wait continued and kept building up. Near's face was no longer an empty canvas, but it was a masterpiece of emotion and human compassion. It was beautiful.

Near left a trail of close-mouthed kisses down each of Mello's legs, avoiding the blonde's erection. Near had plans for it later on. As soon as the pants slid past the knees, Mello bent his legs and lifted them toward him, causing the rest of his legs to slip out of their leather prison and spoil Near's fun. Mello hadn't been able to be patient – what a surprise. The blonde swiftly clamped his legs around Near's waist and brought the boy closer to his aching body. Near had promised him love and relief; he needed them now.

Right there, right then.

Mello felt some relief when Near's lips settled on his once again; they hadn't been gone for long and he was already missing them. There was a clash with both of their tempos – Mello's kisses being frantic and needy, whereas Near's were slow and deliberate. Although Mello wished Near would tear into him even harder than Light had ever done, he felt comfortable and wanted by Near who seemed determined to drag the pleasure out for as long as he could. Near wanted to enjoy him and heal him slowly, thoroughly. Near truly wanted him.

Had this been too much to ask for with Light?

The only indication that Near had entered Mello had been the blonde's expression. The grey-blue orbs were wide open and shining brightly; and his reddened lips were pursed as if they could keep his breath from fleeing.

Near's claiming was a pleasant, unhurried affair. Each movement waxed and waned calmly like an ebbing midnight tide lapping sweetly at the shore of the sea. Mello's face had softened and his body was responding in time with Mello's leisurely thrusts. His movements weren't meant to hurt…Near meant to cure Mello's sickness of the soul, one kiss and move at a time. The younger boy meant to repair the shattered blonde and show him that there was someone out there who cared for him. Each one of Near's intimate caresses were meant to inspire trust and bring about release; Mello felt that Near meant well for him and welcomed him into eager arms.

Eager to start again, eager to finish unfinished business, eager to let go of things holding him back, eager for his past foe.

When orgasm finally found them rocking away on the couch, it snuck up on them slowly. The growing ball of sensation uncoiling at the very pit of Mello's belly began to flow and disperse itself all through his body, eliciting a smile and a sexy sigh from him. Near was not exempt from release either and it caught him with his eyes shut and his lower lip caught between his pearlescent teeth. There were no screams or violent actions to mark their release – just silence and a fulfilling lull of their blood racing through their bodies; their hearts keeping beat with the rushing red. Both boys made good use of the aftermath to tighten their embrace and rest in each other's arms to drain out the rest of the lingering tension.

Having Mello look so peaceful and untroubled below him brought a smile to Near's face. It had been a long while since he had seen that expression – it almost made him yearn for their years at Wammy's where they had had no life-threatening worries or disappointments that could kill. The golden locks of Mello's head were fanned out gorgeously like some sort of halo sharply contrasting with the pitch darkness of the couch cushions. Near gave in to temptation once more and gave Mello's forehead a loving peck.

"We will make Light Yagami pay, Mello. And we will get Aniki back. I promise."

Mello's face blackened at the mention of Light Yagami and he hissed dangerously an inch away from Near's face.

"I'm going to kill that son of a bitch, Near. And no one can stop me."

Murder had crept back into Mello's voice and demeanor, but Near remain unmoving and unfazed by his new lover's sudden change. The younger boy opened his mouth and quietly answered

"If you want to, go ahead, Mello."

The murder in Mello's eyes vanished and shock came to replace the sentiment. He had been expecting Near to throw a fit and forbid him from compromising the investigation with drastic measures, but he had been wrong. He would have never expected Near to agree with him, but then again, this was Near and the boy didn't abide by anyone's expectations. Certainly not Mello's.

"You're not going to try to stop me, Near?"

Mello tried again, wondering if he had heard wrong the first time.

"No."

Damn, Near had indeed said what Mello had thought he had heard the boy say. Astonishment compelled the blonde to question Near's decision. It had to be a mistake…or a trap. Could it be both?

"Why?"

"Because even if we catch him with all sorts of compromising evidence, it will take a while before he can be rightfully prosecuted and put to death. Besides, justice would be impartial in its ruling and has no personal reason to convict him. Since he will die eventually when we catch him, it wouldn't make a difference if you kill him before justice does. You do have a personal reason to kill him and you would be putting a stop to his madness, which is justice's sole goal in catching him anyway. It's a win-win situation and no one has to know you did it."

It was no mistake and it was no trap. It was just Near's unscrupulous nature coming to light. His lack of scruples would have unnerved Mello at some point in the past, but it didn't unnerve him now. Perhaps it was because he liked the idea of having Near on his side against Light. Maybe it was the possibility that his new lover may become his new ally. Or it could be because he had lost his mind somewhere in the explosion of his emotions. All choices sounded plausible.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, Mello. I am serious about this. If you want, I'll even help you."

Maybe Mello had hit the jackpot when he wasn't looking. Just as suddenly as things had taken a turn for the worse, they had taken a counterturn and couldn't be going any better.

He now had a reliable, caring lover and a partner in his revenge. The prospect of having L-nii-san back with them was just an added bonus. Life was good…and Mello was happy.

Happiness: another virtue of that counterturn.

Mello's face broke out in a blinding grin and kissed Near contently on the lips. He murmured a thank you as he pulled away from the boy's swollen mouth. Near grinned back and brushed aside some stray hairs from Mello's face.

On that couch, Mello and Near engaged in a conversation about a plan to destroy Light Yagami. Near informed Mello that he had bugged the whole building where L and Light were staying and that he had live video and audio feed from the building 24/7. He also told Mello that he had stolen the architectural blueprints of the building from L's own database, at which Mello began to laugh heartily and announced to Near he now knew what he would do to kill Light. The blonde seemed to like the idea of the blueprints.

They discussed the basics of their plan for about half an hour until Mello interrupted Near and asked him shyly

"Umm…Near, do you have any more chocolate here? I'm really hungry." The white-haired boy chuckled and assured the blonde he did indeed have some chocolate for him. Even though Near knew what kind of chocolate Mello favored, he still asked the older boy what type of chocolate he would prefer.

"I don't care. Any will do." Near got up from his comfortable place on the couch and crawled away searching for the fridge where he had a small stack of chocolate.

Mello was spellbound as he watched Near's naked bum sway from side to side as he crawled across the shiny white tile. The blonde's mind started to deviate and concocted naughty thoughts of smearing chocolate on that swinging bum and licking it off. Possibly biting it too. Mello also noticed Near seemed to have gone back to his normal state of weirdosity, yet he was being strangely amicable and…normal.

"Hey, Near?"

"Yes, Mello?" Near called in response from the fridge as he retrieved two chocolate bars and secured him into the grip of his mouth to carry them back to the couch where Mello awaited him.

"Did you, by any chance, get whacked in the head with a Transformer?"

Near stopped mid-crawl to stare at Mello. The oddity of the question almost made him laugh, but the chocolate bars barring his mouth from movement prevented him from doing so. He took the chocolate from his mouth and asked Mello in return

"No, Mello, why would you ask such a thing?"

Mello didn't quite know how to voice his sentiments to Near nicely. For once, he didn't want to offend the boy.

"…because you're acting so…nice…and normal…I dunno, Near…"

Instead of being put off by what Mello had said, Near laughed, got up and walked the rest of the way toward the couch.

The youth handed Mello a chocolate bar and kept one for himself. He sat down next to Mello and smiled pensively.

"Ah, Mello, let us just say I have decided to stand on my own two feet this time."

The blonde gave Near a quick incredulous look before darting his eyes back to the chocolate and unwrapping it eagerly.

"That's good…" Mello paused to bite off a piece of the sweet and finished his sentence between mouthfuls, "…and about time too."

Mello continued to munch happily on his chocolate perfectly unaware of Near's expression when he responded to Mello's comment.

"It is, isn't it?"

Near was suppressing a triumphant smirk shrouded in malice as he peeled the wrapper of his candy bar and took a dainty bite.

(0o0)

When Near had had surveillance equipment installed all throughout the Japanese task Force building, he had expected to catch Light Yagami doing some compromising things behind closed doors, but Near had never guessed the extent to which this would be true.

For one, L-nii-san was still alive and living with Light Yagami in their old bedroom unbeknownst to the other members of the task force (and everyone else for that matter).

Two, L-nii-san and Light Yagami were engaging in sexual intercourse and they seemed to be romantically involved (the extent to which they were would be revealed to Near through their exchanges in front of Near's cameras later on).

Three, Light Yagami was indeed acting suspicious, but Near couldn't gather enough solid evidence to implicate the Yagami youth as Kira.

Now as it stood, Light Yagami was acting as the second L.

Light Yagami, bastard supreme, had usurped the position the he, Near, had been specifically raised to occupy. The power of L's title lay with an impostor and Near couldn't have that.

Near was meant to be L's chosen heir and sole holder of the title…not a megalomaniac murderer like Light Yagami.

Near was angry at L-nii-san for leaving them behind and faking his death just so he could join Light in the dark side. Perhaps L-nii-san wasn't directly aiding Light in his genocidal rampage, but the fact that he had dropped out of the investigation to move in with the prime suspect was enough to make him a criminal, and accessory.

Near was 100 certain that Light Yagami was Kira – just as L-nii-san had suspected – and just like his _superior_, Near only needed the right evidence.

However, the problem with exposing Kira was too delicate a matter and had to be approached in a way that left absolutely no room for mistakes. Even if Near got a hold of evidence and could expose Light Yagami as Kira, there was no telling if L had planned his death and his involvement with Light to bring Kira down. If Near exposed Light now, the subject of L's existence would inevitably to come to the light and Near's title would be in jeopardy (and if things suddenly took a turn for the worse, Near might end up back at Wammy's, to where he had no intention of returning even if the place had good memories).

Even if L-nii-san's death had not been a ruse to capture Light and had joined the Japanese man simply out of emotional attachment, the man could reason his way out of prison and come back to his post by claiming it had all been part of a plan to catch Kira. L-nii-san could just say he had done what he did in the name of justice and apprehending the suspect who had avoided him for so long and no one would be the wiser – who could argue with L? After all, the detective seemed to be barely a notch from infallible in the world's eyes.

There was no way for Near to succeed while the true L was still alive. The only way to have the title was to dispose of the one who held it – L had got to go. If Near was able to do away with L, then Light Yagami would be a lot easier to catch, and when that impostor was out of the picture, Near would be L. If Near took down the World's top detective, taking down the world's top megalomaniac murderer would be easier than solving a Rubik's cube. A piece of cake.

Near would kill two birds with one perfect stone.

The bird count escalated and the stakes were higher when a new element in the plot came into play: Mello.

Thanks to the heavy surveillance in the building, Near had also found out that Mello was having some sort of affair with light Yagami behind L-nii-san's back. Near had a feeling that light was just sleeping with Mello to get information out of him, but what Near had seen of Mello had left him wondering just how much the blonde had invested himself emotionally into that relationship – obviously Mello was oblivious to the one-sided romance. The blonde's attachment to Light Yagami appeared to increase exponentially and had only intensified after Aniki's alleged death – something else that Mello was also unaware of.

After that discovery, Near had begun to wonder what Mello would do when he found out that L-nii-san was alive and that Light was cheating on the blonde with their big brother. No doubt that Mello would go out of his mind.

Knowing Mello like Near did, the blonde would most likely have murder on his mind after forming all sorts of whacked out theories in his convoluted head. Mello was one of those people who believed L-nii-san beyond reproach and completely blameless – in short, the man could do no wrong in Mello's eyes. It was only natural that Mello would focus all of his cataclysmic rage and energy on blaming Light for everything and taking action against him. Mello would want to get L-nii-san back and away from the man who had done them wrong.

That particular train of thought had led Near to formulate a plan that certain to put him at the very top and set things the way they should have been in the first place. His plan would put all the pieces of the puzzle in their place, right where they belonged.

Mello was to be the means to his end – L-nii-san and Light's end.

Seducing the luscious blonde after showing him a shocking development had only been the beginning, and when it was all over, he would be king of the hill.

Some people said it was lonely at the top – Near didn't personally believe in such an ignorant statement…but in case it was true, he would have Mello beside him. Maybe that was the reason why L-nii-san had thrown everything away and gone with Light. In any case, acquiring Mello was one of his goals. It was a win-win situation for Near.

Acquiring Mello was just another piece of the puzzle; something that would happen the way it was supposed to happen.

After all, they were both two sides of the same coin. They were meant to be together and more valuable than the whole.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So, kiddies and kitties, this is my first attempt at a multi-chapter fic. It might be from four to six chapters long depending on what crackpot ideas I come up with as the story goes on. It'll probably be four. It's pretty much planned out, but you never know. The story will relate the happenings from Mello's point of view as well as Near's, Light's and a bit of L. each character contributes bits and pieces of information to build up the story. Just keep in mind this little memo when you read, lovelies.

Mello might seem a bit more unstable than he actually is, but I wouldn't put it past him to start acting that way. And Near is just a little jerk. And Light isn't such a bad guy. You might even feel sorry for him at the end. L...well, I might cry if I talk about it.

See you at two, lovelies. Read, reflect, and review.

-Dale.


	2. There is Thunder in Our Hearts

**Disclaimer:** Don't own DN, doesn't happen. Placebo, you rock and your cover of the song is incredible. YAOIYAOIYAOI. If you're here, you already knew that and welcome back.

**Summary:** Mello finds out Light has been lying to him in more ways than one. The volatile blonde has a murderous plan, but what will happen when darker forces at play act on their own agendas? MelloXNear, vague LXLight, implied MelloXLight. Character death.

* * *

**Running Up That Hill**

**Chapter 2: There is Thunder in Our Hearts**

He was alive for only one reason.

A reason that put the very fear of God into the human race, the reason he had left his life behind and become something slightly more than a ghost. The reason he had lost all the power and control that he had once wielded over the world.

To the eyes of the world, L, the greatest detective was dead and he could never come back. And in truth, L was dead and gone along with Ryuga, Ryuzaki, Eraldo and Deneuve. The only one left behind had been Lawliet.

Lawliet lived.

Lawliet was the man and the soul of that dark-haired and bony body L and the others had occupied. Lawliet was the humanity that had been pushed aside by L and the others to make an automaton out of him. An automaton with no regard for feelings and a fixation of justice that was nothing short of obstinate. When faced with the dreadful possibility of L capturing Light and handing him in to justice, Lawliet made up his mind to assert himself and push all those other bullying presences aside. Thus Lawliet was the only one left.

He was the only one left because he was the one who was in love. Lawliet the man was absolutely and irreversibly in love with Light Yagami the man.

How Lawliet was able to love someone whose alter ego was none other than the dreaded Kira was beyond reason. Logic could attempt to explain, but its reasoning is often limited in the ways of love and circumstance.

Just as Lawliet had his many masks and aliases, Light had his own mask. They could love each other because they could detach themselves from their assumed names and behold each other in the barest of essentials. It was not easy, but the two geniuses had managed.

Kira had sought to destroy L. Ryuga, L and Ryuzaki had sought to uncover Kira. L had detested Kira's justification for his killings. Kira had detested L's meddling in his divine judgment. Those aliases had battled on and accomplished their goals. The history of L's personas had run its course, but the history of Lawliet and Light had not - theirs was just taking flight.

Kira, the persona that lived somewhere within Light, still existed and continued to wreak havoc upon the planet; however, that mask was slowly taking a back seat to the scene and only surfaced when Light was away from Lawliet. Just because L and the others were dead it didn't mean that Lawliet didn't think Kira a terrible murderer. Lawliet didn't like Kira one bit, and because Light knew this, he made it a point to leave his mask outside their sanctuary. In their room, he was Light and Light alone. Outside of the room, his personality fluctuated to suit his goals, which meant that Kira was virtually free to come and go as he pleased.

Lawliet thought Kira a killer like all the others had thought so once upon a time, but that dull and misguided mask of Light's was not who Lawliet cared for. Lawliet loved and lived for the thoughtful and sensitive young man that Kira had taken a hold of and turned into a despicable assassin. Lawliet no longer felt oppressed, repressed or depressed by his lonely existence - Light had brightened up his life and shown him the myriad worthwhile aspects of life. Light had shown him life was beautiful and worth making sacrifices.

L's heart had stopped beating just as Lawliet's had begun to do so; L had died so that Lawliet could live.

It was an even trade-off as far as Lawliet was concerned.

Lawliet was every bit the intellectual L and the others were, but he held none of their hang-ups and issues. Lawliet was unhindered and very much free to feel and be more human. Not normal, but certainly human. Lawliet's freedom of the spirit and body allowed him to show and say how he felt; he could act on his feelings. L was no longer there to stop him and push him aside. L had been just a shell of Lawliet, a tough exterior trapping the tender inside. The best thing Kira could have ever done had been to get rid of that vacant shell. Still, this admission did not justify the killing of those hundreds of people, regardless of their guilt.

Light was Lawliet's most precious treasure, he was Lawliet's only savior. How could they not belong with and to each other?

Lawliet didn't mind living in the shadows - he had always lived in the miserable shadow of L and the others who had lived in the shadow of secrecy and anonymity. The life in itself wasn't very different, except for Light. He was the only one who piqued Lawliet's interest; he was the only case Lawliet wanted to work on. The only thing Lawliet was interested in investigating was how much effort and breath he could devote to cherishing the Light shining through him, in him, with him.

As long as the guilt stained Light, Kira would live on somehow. Lawliet had chosen to ignore Kira in favor of Light - Lawliet didn't care what the killer did to the world as long as his Light came home every night to love him and care for him. As long as his Light was safe, there wasn't a lot that he would worry about.

Why should Lawliet care for the world if he was no longer part of it? The world negated his existence because L was dead… why bother with it if he wasn't part of it? Lawliet had given up on the world wide world in exchange for some rooms in a building somewhere in Japan to spend the rest of his days in them.

It was yet another even trade-off. Some would call them sacrifices, or even selfishness, but Lawliet called them trade-offs. That is what these exchanges were at the core, all good, bad or misguided intentions and contexts aside. They got him closer to Light, his only goal, and whether he was L, Ryuzaki or just himself, Lawliet got what he strove for.

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Light had wanted to part with Kira the moment he realized he had fallen for Lawliet: that defining moment had led him to see what Kira was and was turning him into. So far, Light had failed to sever ties with his other pseudo self, but at least he had managed to keep the notebook-wielding murderer from taking over his body, mind and soul completely. Light didn't like being Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde at all, but it was all he could do. He could not take back all of those countless murders or the sick satisfaction they brought - he couldn't take back what had been said and done; he could not bring L or anybody back. He didn't want to bring anybody back; much less L. Things happened for a reason and Light was comfortable where he was - in Lawliet's arms.

Every night, Light came home to Lawliet. The "Second L", as he was dubbed, would drop all pretenses at the very door of their room and step into their abode as he truly was - a simple man. He would make a beeline for the bed or the kitchen - the usual places where Lawliet hung out while he waited for Light - and he would kiss his beloved sweetly and spend some time with Lawliet until sleep overtook them and they gave in to oblivion in each other's arms.

Sometimes before bed, they would have nice healthy dinner together (made by Lawliet), then they would have some coffee and a light dessert while they discussed a wide arrange of topics that had nothing to do with Light's line of work and the investigation. The length of their discussions varied according to the topic, but they were always engaging and passionate. Or sometimes they would watch television instead of talking and they watched until Light heard Lawliet's cute little yawns and the dark haired man fell asleep leaning against Light's chest. Then the brunette would carry his sleeping lover to their bed and lay him to sleep.

Or sometimes they would crave each other to the point of not even speaking, favoring to explore every corner of each other to remind themselves of all the happiness they had found and the sacrifices made for their findings. Their lovemaking would vary according to whatever was on their minds and by the time they could no longer embrace climax, their minds were laid to rest and all that was left in them was an urge to lie beside one another, basking in the heat of their ebbing passion and their ever-growing comfort.

When Light had a weekend off the investigation, Lawliet and Light would do fun things together like a normal couple and they even risked going out in public to places where Light knew no one was watching them. They were usually in disguise just to be on the safe side, but the open space and the fresh air renewed them. Walking in the park or going to a shop had a new significance to them and they tried to enjoy their moments outside the concrete confines to the maximum. Lawliet liked the outside world and the simplemindedness of the average folk didn't bother him so much anymore. The simple things in life looked a lot brighter to the both of them.

Not many things bothered Lawliet nowadays – his newfound enthusiasm for life had bought out major changes in him: lust for life was slowly cleansing Lawliet from his past. His habits and behavior had changed dramatically. His posture was a lot straighter and his face reflected a healthy, lovely glow, blooming with emotions. Lawliet had no problem wearing shoes with socks when the occasion called for it and his sense of tact and social interaction had improved greatly despite the fact that Light was the only person he interacted with on a daily basis. Lawliet did not resemble L or any of the personas left behind to die. His true self was finally free of the binds that had held him back. Lawliet slept at night and his conscience did not haunt him.

Though confined to be forever invisible to the world, Lawliet smiled and thanked the heavens for Light – though the road was paved with the blood of criminals and obscured by countless sins, Lawliet had followed Light into the absolute and become himself. Even though he did not worship Kira, he was indebted to Light for showing him the path to self-discovery and the ultimate freedom of the heart. L had found a God, but Lawliet had found a wonderful man as well as himself.

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Another Friday night, another day of an endless search for a phantom murderer. Light was very aware of how useless the whole search was, seeing as he was the very individual he was hunting, but no one else but him and his chosen few needed to know that for reasons that were more than obvious. As this was the weekend that was designated for the task force to rest, one by one the members of the team took their leave and exited the building. The last person out was Touta Matsuda, given that, besides Light, he was the only one who was unmarried and did not have the obligations the other members of the task force had outside their jobs.

Light was currently chasing a lead on Kira that indicated he was operating from Switzerland and that he was planning to gather followers to continue his rampage of righteous murder. Matsuda had offered kindly to help Light look into the lead, but thirty minutes into the search, the young man's brain had given up and he had1 left, not without apologizing to Light profusely for not having been of more help. Light politely waved goodbye to the overly eager rookie and braced himself for another hour of following the trails of the goldmine he was currently sitting on.

The whole situation with him being both the target and the hunter was always amusing, but in nights like these when he could be enjoying himself and relaxing next to his beloved, the idea of following a fabricated trail meant to go in circles was not very amusing, especially when it had been him who had fabricated and laid out the trail in the first place. But to keep suspicion from poking its nose into his business, he tinkered with the computer files and pretended to analyze the information until he surmised it was time to give up on it and turn in for the day. He had worked hard enough.

Slowly, he pushed his chair back from the desk and stretched languorously, trying to wake all those body parts that had numbed out due to prolonged boredom and disuse. He let his mind wander and purge itself of all work-related thoughts one by one until he was left with the simple notions that he was tired, hungry and that he yearned to go to the home he had made for himself several floor above in that same building. Stretching his arms, he glanced at his watch and decided to speed up his systematic stretching. It was late and quite the ungodly hour to be at work on a Friday night.

Light gathered himself and his belongings – suit jacket, briefcase and a box of chocolates – and began the process of powering down, setting aside and locking up the task force's offices. The only sounds and flashes of light were coming from the computer monitors winking, blinking and settling down into their technologic slumber. The brunette detective switched off most of the lights in the investigation rooms and walked through the main door. The door shut itself behind him and the noise it made signaled Light's freedom in more ways than one.

Light sighed and smiled contentedly – he was off from work and finally going home.

A part of Light wanted to take off running down the hallway up to the elevator and then run some more toward his room, but the iron self-control he had harbored and cultivated throughout the years refused to allow him to cave to such childish and primitive impulses. He kept his leisurely pace unaltered and counted the steps he was slowly taking toward the elevator. He wasn't a big fan of mortifying himself, but he got a twisted thrill of prolonging the wait for something he wanted badly. His footsteps almost dragged along, but for a person of such grace and poise it was nearly impossible to drag his feet along in a manner that was less than dignified.

Thirty-seven.

Thirty-eight.

Thirty-nine.

Forty.

Forty-one.

Forty-two.

Light stepped into the elevator and suppressed the urge to laugh out loud and settled for the ghost of a smile as he took his sweet time pressing the button of the elevator that would take him to the desired floor. The elevator was designed to cover the distance between floors in a matter of seconds, but at the end of the day, Light always felt like it was taking a couple of seconds too long – seconds that could always make a difference. Seconds he could use to gaze upon the face that had launched such a ruthless battle between him and the world he was so desperately trying to improve.

That face…

Seventeen. Six floors to go.

Eighteen. Five floors to go.

Light's eyes were drawn to the ornate box of chocolates he was grasping with his right hand. He had picked the sweets out on one of his few lunch outings that week and had been keeping the box hidden until today. The box seemed to be hand-made and the edges of the box were artfully decorated with thin golden silk ribbon and the rest of the box was a striking crimson tastefully devoid of flashy logos or designs. The box was simple, elegant and heart-shaped. Light had spent his whole lunch hour trying to pick out the perfect box of chocolates for Lawliet, and although the heart-shaped box of chocolates was a run-of-the-mill idea, the shape of the box, the items it contained and the person giving the box to Lawliet had more meaning than just a token of love and appreciation.

It was both an inside joke and a commemoration of their story. Light smiled and clutched the box affectionately and turned his eyes back at the button panel of the elevator. He drew in a forceful breath and tried to keep he eagerness he felt from showing on his face, even if there was no one to see it.

Twenty. Three floors to go.

Controlled breaths, controlled movements, and controlled heartbeats. For the umpteenth time since he had joined the task force, Light scanned every corner of the steel box, taking inventory of every light, every nook, cranny and edge inside the box. This inspection killed time while he was taken up to his destination, but it also kept his mind sharp in the off chance that there was something in the elevator that did not belong there – like a surveillance camera he wasn't aware of and that he hadn't tampered with. There never was, but it was better to be safe than sorry – especially him, of all people.

Twenty-one. Two floors to go.

Light tried concentrating on the slight hum of the elevator ascending, but his mind was wandering to what was waiting for him on the twenty-third floor past the fifth floor on the left of the elevator. The thought of the raven-haired man inside that room made the starched fabric of his shirt feel scratchy against the skin of his arms. Light steadied his breath and reined his mind back into calm blankness. He commanded each and every muscle of his body to remained still and impassive as he faced the reinforced steel doors of the moving cage. He eyed the numbers displayed in bright red with rapt attention.

Twenty-two. One floor to go.

Light glanced back down at the box and then at his briefcase – its weight and feel reassuring and solid against the grip of his left hand. The audible ring of the elevator alerted Light and his eyes were back on the doors.

Twenty-three. Ground Zero. Home.

The doors parted and the partial view of the hallway before him did nothing to curb his enthusiasm. He stepped through the steel threshold and took a deep breath before heading left toward his room. The first four doors were all a blur to him even though his steps were slow and measured. He had to concentrate in not running – his pride would not allow him to seem eager until he absolutely had to. With Lawliet, he could be as eager as he wanted to be, but for now, he would keep his cool and release all that pent up excitement when the time was right.

Light stopped a few steps short of the fifth door. Inexplicably, his heart beat was quickening and his breath wasn't as calm and collected as before. His self-control seemed to be slipping against his will – all he wanted to do was knock down the door and run to his Lawliet, but he would never allow himself such an embarrassing performance.

Instead, Light opted for taking a few seconds to regain his bearings. His eyes turned to the wall across the door and he followed the patterns on the wall paper. The faint lilac tint of the wall paper and the vine-like pattern were strangely entrancing to Light, who not moments ago had been considering plowing through the door in a barbaric manner. Light's hand came forward and his fingers moved toward the bas-relief to trace the trail his eyes had already traversed.

Before his fingers could touch the wall, the fifth door swung open and the trance was broken.

"Staring at the walls again, koi? What? I'm not pleasing to your eyes anymore?"

Light turned his head to the source of the words.

Leaning against the doorframe stood Lawliet with his arms crossed, head cocked to the side, wearing an old pair of Light's jeans and a frilly pink apron that Light could identify as having belonged to Misa at some point in time. The ravenette's bare feet were rubbing against one another in an almost cute manner.

If Light had known Lawliet was going to look like that when he got home, he would have definitely dashed to the room at the speed that only Light could manage. Breath-taking didn't begin to cover the simple beauty of Lawliet standing there looking like that.

"Never, love. Just bracing myself for what I was about to see…"

Light felt the urge to complete his sentence with 'and, boy, did I need to brace myself', but he felt it was too early in the evening to be that crude. Maybe after dinner.

Lawliet chuckled.

Light would have continued to think and mentally drool if the sound of Lawliet's chuckle hadn't interrupted his musings. To this day, Lawliet's laugh did not sound like a completely human expression of mirth , but he was getting better every day – after all, the particular sound of Lawliet's voice was dear enough to Light; it was the voice that could easily make him waver in his resolve.

Lawliet untied the apron at his waist and slipped the garment off over his head.

The raven-haired man was no longer the malnourished waif L had once been. His Lawliet had put on a healthy weight since had been living with Light and his body had filled out beautifully – his arms felt and looked stronger, his face was no longer peaky and spectral, his chest was more defined and sturdy, and Light's fitted jeans clung nicely to his bottom and legs. Even the sickly pallor of his skin was slowly ebbing away and being replaced by a rosy sun-kissed glow (and light suspected Lawliet was sneaking out to the roof during the day to sun-bathe). The new peachy tint did wonders for Lawliet and Light had to say that the man before him had never looked so alive.

A man that lived and breathed only for him.

Lawliet broke yet another one of Light's moments of silent admiration of him by asking the brunette

"Are you coming in or do you plan to spend the night out in that hallway?"

The amusement in Lawliet's voice propelled Light until he found himself inches away from the raven-haired man. Tucking the bundled under his arm, Lawliet took the briefcase from Light and turned on his heel to retreat further into the suite. Light followed him in and toed off his shoes by the door. Light closed the distance between himself and Lawliet and watched as the bare-chested man bent forward and put down his briefcase next to the couch.

Lawliet's spine peeked shyly underneath the newly-developed muscle and flesh, leaving Light no other choice other than to trace the spine with his fingers and bring his free hand to roam up and down Lawliet's side. A shiver shook Lawliet slightly and he straightened up gradually, turning to face Light with a soft smile playing on his lips.

"These are for you, Lawliet love," Light whispered and handed the heart-shaped box to Lawliet who was both flattered and amused at the small present. In turn, Light took the apron from Lawliet and fingered the fabric, searching for a hint of Lawliet's essence he could touch and soak up.

Lawliet's eyes were brimming with mirth, and he pouted mockingly,

"But I made dessert…"

Light let himself laugh at the comment and touched his fingers to Lawliet's cheek before he said

"Oh, like that's ever stopped you."

Lawliet giggled sweetly and Light smelled the apron, all the while keeping his eyes trained on Lawliet's face. Light smiled against the bunched up fabric and let it drop away from his face.

"You made cobbler."

To the untrained ear, it was a simple statement with no obvious inflection, but to Lawliet, it was a confirmation of Light's appreciation, excitement and gratitude at Lawliet's gesture. Light was not a fan of sweets as much as he was, but if there was something he liked to eat, it was cobbler. Especially…

"Apple." Lawliet offered, his voice as free of any inflections as Light's had been. Lawliet set the box on the coffee table in front of the couch and embraced the brunette tightly. Light's arms snaked around Lawliet's waist and encircled the dark-haired man, holding him as close to his chest as his grip and his clothes would allow him.

Lawliet was thoughtful and gentle. Gestures that made Light's chest tight with emotions and his mind reel with thousands of images, words and past actions.

He was really lucky to have found Lawliet amongst the defeated remains of the mighty L.

Light closed his eyes and let his face press against the other man's neck as he Lawliet kissed his temple softly. The scent of Lawliet combined with the scents of baking and cooking lulled Light into a sphere of comfort that only being home could achieve. Light snuggled closer to the other man and he heard Lawliet whisper against his temple.

"We can have those with the coffee."

Light pulled away and carelessly threw the apron in the direction of the couch and walked toward the kitchen, following the heavenly smells emanating from there.

"What's for dinner?" Light stopped at the entrance of the kitchen waiting for Lawliet to catch up to him. The dark-haired man stood behind him and whispered the specialty du jour.

"It's Thai night, koi…" Lawliet trailed off and his lips settled on the back of Light's neck. Light inhaled sharply at the contact, but Lawliet mistook it as a sign of displeasure. He quickly spoke,

"If you don't want it, I can make something else…there's some leftover rice I can heat up for you if you like…"

Lawliet's voice sounded like that of a heart-broken child eager to please, and Light made quick work of reassuring Lawliet that there was nothing wrong with his immaculate dinner set-up. Light took Lawliet's hands in his and brought them up to his lips where he kissed them several times. He stopped kissing Lawliet's hands but held them close to his face. His maple eyes bore into Lawliet's polished obsidian ones and he whispered into Lawliet's hands with the utmost sincerity:

"It's perfect, my love. Thank you."

Lawliet's face lit up again and he quickly ushered Light into the kitchen where the table was set up. Two plates, two glasses, cutlery, a steaming bowl of vegetable stir-fry, and an ice cold pitcher of some drink that Light couldn't quite place.

It really was a perfect dinner. It smelled great, it looked great, he was sure it would taste great, and it had been prepared by the person who knew Light best, inside and out. Perfect indeed.

Courteously, Lawliet helped Light out of his jacket and pulled the chair out for the brunette. Light thanked him with a bright smile and he sat down comfortably. The brunette detective waited for his partner to come back and sit with him before he began eating. It wouldn't be fair to start without Lawliet after the man had so painstakingly spent God knows how many hours in the kitchen making sure dinner was exactly the way he wanted it.

Lawliet returned shortly and took his seat in front of Light. Lawliet served his Light a good portion of the meal and piled some onto his plate as well. Light served them the drinks and when they ready to eat, Lawliet shot Light a blinding smile and dropped his voice to a sultry murmur.

"Dig in, koi…"

Light licked his lips and began to eat.

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Light hadn't exactly wanted to end up bedding Mello, but the opportunity, meaning Mello, had presented itself at a time and a circumstance where any information on L's heirs and their whereabouts would have been vital to Kira's cause. It was Kira who had initiated the affair without any regard for Mello's feelings, much less Light's own feelings. If it had been up to Light he would have found another to gather the same information that could be gathered out of sleeping with Mello, but Kira liked to do things in a more drastic and malicious manner.

Aside from that, Mello had made a conscious choice and every choice had its consequences. He had always a choice to stop seeing Light but he had never taken that step; thus, Light couldn't really be blamed for that.

Lawliet did not know of the situation with Mello, but in a way, Light and Lawliet benefited from the strange and dangerous ménage a trois – the more Light bamboozled Mello and sent him running after 'juicy' leads that led nowhere, the farther the blonde would stay away from joining forces with Near. It was important to Light and Kira that the feuding heirs did not pair up to catch Kira. Lawliet and Light could only stand divided as long as Near and Mello were divided; if that changed… it was only a matter of time before things started falling apart.

Their ruse would be inevitably exposed and who knew how people would react to the findings.

Light knew he could be defeated if those two kids paired up, and Near knew it too. Thus, Mello's infatuation with Light and sheer hatred of Near was useful – this let Light keep his loved one close and his enemies even closer… and who knew, Mello might even hate Near enough to find out his real name and reveal it. Kira was more than pleased with the prospect, but Light still had his doubts…but sacrifices had to be made and if Near had to die so that Light, Lawliet and Kira could live, that would have to be it.

So far, so good, as far as Light knew, but he was indeed wondering why Mello had been absent lately. Perhaps he had been busy screwing up Near's efforts or trying to dig up information on his own. But Light didn't waste much time wondering about Mello's whereabouts – He had Lawliet to think about, and God only knew that man gave Light plenty to think, feel, and dream about.

If only circumstance would hold off long enough for Light to fake his death at the hands of Kira and disappear from the investigation altogether and go somewhere with Lawliet. Perhaps that would be an idea worth considering – it would provide a chance at normalcy for Lawliet and Light, and it would also offer Kira more leeway to continue his judgment and keep the task force and anyone investigating going about in circles.

The idea wasn't completely ideal, but it was ideal enough for Light. After all, a young man needed something to believe in, didn't he?

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

If Near wasn't so hell bent on winning the game, he would not have watched L's interactions with Light Yagami that night. Just as Near had thought those two would have a normal night together, L had brought out desert and the stickiest display of foreplay he had ever had the displeasure of watching had ensued. Both men had slathered themselves with some sort of cake and ice cream and had eaten the desert off each other. As if that wasn't enough for those two, they had upped the antic by having loud sex in the tiny shower cubicle of their bathroom.

Near would have rather watch an axe murdered slaughter a room full of infants than have to watch that again. But he'd probably have to put up with other acts of a similar nature until Mello was ready to put their plan into motion.

The snow haired youth was intently watching Light and L slumped at the foot of the bed wrapped up in towels and feeding each other what appeared to be chocolates from a box. It was interesting the box was in the shape of a heart – as if to confirm the suspicions that Light was Kira, but taunting him because that alone could never constitute evidence of any kind…just a reminder of the elusive goal he was so desperately trying to achieve.

Near did not feel the need to prove himself as Mello did, but he did feel the need to secure his position. Once that was done, he would have virtually nothing to worry about, save for cracking down on crime in the way that only L could…

Except that he would be better. Indubitably.

Near quickly switched off the feed he was watching and began to watch an old feed he had rigged to appear as a live feed. This feed currently showed Matsuda and Light bent over three computer monitors analyzing and categorizing information. Near wasn't exactly lying because something of the sort had indeed happened earlier that evening.

He had swapped feeds because he could distinctly recognize who was approaching in the near distance.

There was only person whom Near knew would have confident, swaggering footsteps heavy with steel toe boots. In addition, the sound of tearing foil serving as an interval to the footsteps made it very clear it was Mello who was approaching.

Being raised in such a hermetic and sterile environment, Near could easily pick out the sounds of footsteps and foil as well as the distinct smell of chocolate mixed with gunpowder and sweat.

Near knew the owner of that heady scent and those loud noises like he knew his own strengths and weaknesses. Calculating the sounds and the distance at which it was coming, Mello would be walking into the surveillance room in 6.8 seconds and asking what he was watching. The blonde would walk in 0.3 seconds before Matsuda decided to go home for the day.

Mello and his perfect timing.

Exactly, 6.8 seconds later, the doors to the surveillance room at the SPK base in Japan swung open to allow Mello to stride in, munching away at a chocolate bar, as was the blonde's custom.

"Hey," Mello mumbled through a mouthful of chocolate.

"Hello, Mello." Near responded nonchalantly and did not bother to turn around and face Mello. Soon enough, Mello's face was next to his facing the screen where the feed was playing. The pungent smell of cocoa and Mello's wild pheromones mingling together made it difficult for Near to concentrate, but the smaller boy managed to stay calm.

"Whatcha watchin'?"

Near had been much closer to Mello physically before, but the proximity of the blonde's face almost against his was making the goosebumps on the skin of his arms and neck worsen by the second. Once again, his senses were succumbing to the onslaught of stimuli that was Mello.

"I'm watching Matsuda because I suspect him of aiding Kira. That man fulfills the criteria for the kiraist profile Commander Rester and I were working on last week. My suspicion isn't higher than one percent, but I would like to investigate Matsuda-san further. His close bonds with Light make him even more suspicious to me. Not to mention, Matsuda-san has been known to make remarks that portray Kira in almost positive light."

"If you say so, Near…by the way, have you seen the C-4?" Mello drifted off nonchalantly and walked away from Near to look around for the small pallet containing the C-4.

"It's in that closet at the end of the hall, under the fake bottom."

Mello headed in that direction immediately, wrenching the door open and lifting the plank of wood in one swift move. The blonde got a grip around the package and heaved upwards with all his strength. The package was heavy – 14.5 kilograms – but he managed to lift it out of the hole in the closet floor and set it on the floor next to him.

"What about the boosters, the cords, and the cord clips?"

""Those are in the third drawer to the left in that desk you're standing next to," Near rattled on without even looking. He knew where everything was because he had put most of the stuff away himself; except for the package of C-4, which he had had Rester place inside the closet.

The explosives were too heavy for him to handle.

Mello found the rest of the stuff in the drawer Near had pointed out and checked that nothing was missing. Naturally, nothing was, all thanks to Near's careful planning and vigilance. Mello was going to take the stuff out and take it somewhere, but opted for leaving it in its place for the time being.

His head was all over the place and he didn't want to lose the cords or anything. It had been hard enough to get a hold of those items as security was tight enough everywhere and the black market wasn't seeing much of these items for some reason. Besides, Near was the only one who spent a lot of time in that room, so he could trust the younger boy that nothing would happen to his precious equipment.

Near kept his eyes on the screen, pretending that what he was watching was new to him. His finger was tangled in his hair as usual and his other hand was resting stiffly on one thigh. His other leg was propped up against his chest and his toes were curling gracefully over the edge of the black couch.

Needless to say, Near looked like prey just sitting there, so pure and white against the dark enormity of the couch. Delicious prey.

Mello stalked forward and circled the couch like a graceful panther about to strike; the movement of his feet and his poise looked like they belonged to both the hunt and a complicated dance. Both concepts did nothing to undermine the allure of Mello looking every bit as predatory as he felt.

Near's natural response was to tense and await the hit, but the more primal instincts in him propelled him to flee; but his mind-boggling logic and self-control kept him rooted to the spot, watching Mello as hungrily as his hardened eyes would allow.

The leather whirlwind was a sight to behold when he thought he was in control. And to think that soon enough the whole empire would be his along with this voracious consort.

Mello finally approached Near from behind and rested his face on the top of Near's head. The throaty whisper trickling from the crown of his head all the way down to his lower back wracked Near's lithe body and made it shake with tiny tremors.

"Whatcha thinkin'?"

If Near's mental stability hadn't been stronger, he would have surely stuttered. But his self-control saved him from the slip and he was able to formulate clearly and expressionlessly

"Nothing much…just why you need so much plastic explosives – half of that would be more than enough to achieve the results we expect."

Mello eyed the white-haired boy condescendingly.

"Near, my dear, you never know when that stuff might come in handy. Call it a 'reserve', if you will. Besides, who knows how much longer until I can get more of that plastic again – the markets haven't seen much of it for a while now and who knows when it'll be seen again."

Near remained silent and kept his eyes glued to the cobalt ones above him. The younger boy was stock still as Mello's countenance morphed yet again into a different emotion, but just as explosive.

The blonde brought his gloved hand to the back of Near's neck and pulled his head back slowly, reveling on the smooth planes of the younger boy's face. Angelic was a good word to describe Near's features, but not the rest of him. It was pretty obvious why.

Near let out his breath slowly and braced himself for whatever was about to come. He saw Mello's tongue peek out from his lips and he closed his eyes before he could see where the tongue was going. Feeling it on his skin was enough torture – he didn't need to watch it.

Mello traced Near's lips with his chocolate-covered tongue and left an imprint of the sweet wherever he licked. The feel of Mello's tongue dragging over such sensitive nerves teased Near and made him uncomfortable. Mello was the epitome of sensory overload; Near had no other choice than to open his mouth and hope Mello didn't kill him with that chocolate-laced kiss.

The blend of flavors brewing in their mouths coupled with the heat of their breaths made Near rethink his view on L and Light's previously disgusting dessert antics. There was something very arousing and novel about mixing food with sex – two undeniable human needs being satisfied simultaneously did indeed bring about a rush that was different to anything else – it kind of made Near wonder if that was part of the reason why the black widows ate the male spiders after mating with them.

When Near opened his eyes he noticed immediately that the old feed he had popped on before Mello came in had played itself out and the live feed was back on showing L and light laying in bed under the covers kissing tenderly. Slowly, one of his hands crept up to Mello's neck and holding the blonde's head where it was in case he decided to turn around, and his other hand reached for the remote to turn off the screen.

His hand reached the tiny black box and pressed the biggest button inconspicuously. Near brought the sneaking hand to rest on Mello's shoulder and his slender fingers dug into the flesh there as he held on while Mello brought the assault to his frayed senses.

Mello and his timing.

Goodbye to the backup, hello to the real thing.

Near smiled as Mello pushed down into the couch and the blonde mistook the grin for an expression of acceptance and pleasure.

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

* * *

**Author's Note: **I apologize to the readers for the massive delay in this chapter. I mean, I had it planned out two months ago, or even before that, and it was turning out to be awesome, but my computer malfunctioned and I had to scrape up the bits left behind, my memory and new trains of thought to bring this story back from its ashes. Some things aren't as good as I had written them out before, but others turned out to be even better than before. Not to mention that I barely had time to write this summer seeing as I was all over the place, traveling everywhere. But I offer this chapter as a peace offering.

Okay, so Mello is very sexy in this chapter…so sexy that even Near can help his reaction to the blonde.

Light isn't really the bad guy…fine, he sort of is, but his devotion to Lawliet has to count for something…I mean, he kind of is the most affected person in this story (read until the end and then recall Ryuk's words about the misfortune that befalls those who use the death Note).

Lawliet, oh sweet Lawliet is absolutely delectable…especially all healthy and filled out…and that apron…drools Please, anyone here who wouldn't pay good money to see that man with the apron? I would…and the drooling writing partner in the corner would too points at Chip. I wonder if he makes good cobbler…

And Near, the smug little bitch that he is…I hate him, but I have to admit he's a smart little conniving bitch. I hope he swallows some C-4 and gets sick. And on his sense of hearing and smell, I made it sound like Hannibal Lecter. I just realized that…Lol. Even Hannibal is more likeable.

The bit about the explosives was added in about twenty minutes ago… I was going to use nitroglycerin as Mello's explosive of choice but that shit's way too unstable (like Mello) and it'd probably blow up before he detonates it)like Mello). C-4 is like putty so he could just stick it in nooks and crannies and whatnot; not to mention it has more firepower. No, I do not have any more knowledge about explosives other than the Wikipedia knowledge I acquired twenty minutes ago, so don't think I'm crazy or dangerous.

I'm sure I've forgotten to mention some things, but I'll probably mention them as I go along. The good news is that chapter 3 and a bit of chapter 4 are already in the works, and it's gonna get spicy up in here with the next chapters. I'm wondering if it'll fit into the four chappies I had predicted or if it will expand to five. Dunno yet, will see when I get there.

Okay, enough ranting. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. Reviews are appreciated, as always. See you at 3!

-Dale.


	3. Let Me Steal This Moment From You

**Running Up That Hill**

**Chapter 3: Let Me Steal This Moment from You**

What would have taken a week for Mello to plan and execute by himself had taken him three weeks with Near in the picture. It wasn't that Near was getting in his way, per se, but the younger boy continued to insist that in order to achieve a flawless execution of the plan, every step of the plan would have to be revised and reviewed until it was completely foolproof. Mello was obviously outraged at Near's boldness and bossiness, but he had to admit (albeit grudgingly) that going over their plans so extensibly was indeed an advantage; and as Near so bluntly put it, Mello's plans would not be foiled by lurking variables or preventable situations if they planned for any situation possible.

The more Mello and Near reworked and went over each and every step from different angles, the more clear and precise Mello's idea became. But just because Near's strategy was working it didn't mean that Mello was going to let it slide. The blonde made sure Near paid for his suggestions by bottoming for several nights in a row.

Ramming Near into next Thursday was an okay payment to his karmic debt, but it was sort of wasted on Near who didn't move much to begin with – it would have been great if the snow-haired boy's ass would sting like a gunshot wound every time he tried to move to remind him of the consequences of being cheeky with Mello. Alas… Not everyone could have everything to their heart's desire.

But since Mello was Mello, he was going to try it anyway… planning his revenge to the last detail and pounding Near into that couch one ferocious thrust at time.

For three weeks, Mello camped out at the SPK headquarters, rarely leaving the interrogation room while he poured over sheets, models and blueprints with Near by his side. If he had had a second to spare and think about his situation, the blonde would have found that Near was not half as bad to work with than he had previously thought. Mello would have consciously understood that it was actually quite refreshing to work with someone on his own level that was willing to go to any extremes to achieve their purpose if he had had the time. But the constant surveillance and work did not allow for such revelations.

It only allowed for more planning, trips to set up the 'equipment', and the occasional romp on the couch that never lasted for too long because Near would insist they needed to get back to work. It was irritating as hell, but the way Mello figured it, he would probably have more time to do what he wanted to do after he was done with the Yagami bastard and Aniki was back with them.

That thought could always calm Mello down and get him back to work. That and some of that Belgian chocolate Near had mysteriously procured when Mello had initially arrived.

(0o0)

Three days before the big day, Near was sitting at his customary place at the center of the couch inside the interrogation room fiddling with a small contraption resembling a handheld television set. The young boy was carefully fiddling with different buttons to configure it to his liking. All his concentration was on configuring the small device in a specific way that he did not notice Mello walking into the room, latching and unlatching the safety of his loaded revolver dangerously.

It was the irritating sound of the gun being locked and unlocked that alerted that Mello was in the room. His concentration was far from lost, but the white-haired boy ceased to need it because he had finally achieved his purpose of mastering the mechanics of the device and setting it up just as he wanted.

Mello shoved his revolver back into the front of his pants and grabbed a half-eaten bar of chocolate from the top of a surveillance monitor. He returned to the couch with it and settled himself next to Near.

"So, what's that thing for?" the blonde asked his smaller companion as he bit into the chocolate slowly.

"This, Mello, is a portable surveillance system that is connected to the main surveillance system here at the SPK headquarters. I had it shipped in for you so that you have some help on the big day. You need to watch them both until the last minute, and I will not be able to do help you with surveillance because I have to fly back to Winchester to settle some issues."

Mello choked rather ungracefully on a large piece of chocolate. He hadn't expected Near to not be alongside him on that day.

"What???? And you couldn't tell me this before?!" The blonde's fury spiked and settled in his eyes, looking at Near with a mixture of angry disappointment, indignation and shock.

"I have just found out about these issues and they need to be addressed. They are not as important as this plan, but they do need immediate attention before they get out of hand," Near tried to appease Mello in the most logical way he could muster, "But don't worry. I will return in the evening of that day if all goes well, or first thing the following day, if something comes up."

The blonde was still angry, but his face had taken on the expression of a lost child.

"But… all this planning and you're not going to be here to see it?" Mello hated how weak he sounded, but at least he had managed to keep "with me" from the end of his sentence.

Near pushed the portable surveillance screen to an abandoned side of the couch and turned his body to face Mello's. Taking one of the blonde's gloved hands; he squeezed it and tried to talk to the distraught blonde in the most soothing manner he could think of.

"Mello, If I was not 100% certain that you could handle the execution of the plan, I would have postponed this trip somehow. But I know you can do it, Mello, I am confident you can. Besides, this was your plan, Mel. All I did was provide suggestions and some resources. Everything else, that's all you. I had little to do with this, Mel, the credit goes to you…" the white-haired youth ran his thumb over Mello's leathered knuckles. Near was about to continue speaking, but Mello interrupted him.

"But you've helped me so much! The credit is not all mine…" Mello wanted to continue, but Near brought a soft silencing finger to his trembling lips.

"Mel, I know you. Even if I hadn't given you all the information I gave you, you would have still found a way to put your plan into motion." Mello remained quiet – he wasn't so sure he would have found a way, but he probably would have, being quite aware of his nature. Not to mention that he was too stunned by Near's admissions to say anything else.

"When are you leaving?" Mello's voice was barely above a whisper.

"I'll be leaving in the afternoon of the day before." Near spoke, not letting go of Mello's hand.

There was a tense silence between both boys that stretched for several minutes. Mello refused to look at Near in case his emotions got the better of him, and Near refused to look away from Mello, willing him to understand how important it was for him understand the situation.

There weren't many words exchanged the rest of the day, but both youths returned to their work and lost themselves in it. The big day was three days away and there were some details that needed to be finalized right away.

(0o0)

So what if Near wasn't being completely truthful with Mello? There were indeed some 'issues' he needed to take care of, but he didn't really have to fly all the way to Winchester to solve them. Near was surprised that Mello had not demanded to know what those issues were, but it wasn't an unexpected development. If anything, it was welcome. It saved Near the trouble of having to warp the truth or come up with a brand new lie.

Near had been banking on Mello's emotions to keep him from making much sense of the situation. And those emotions had indeed delivered – not only was Mello convinced Near was leaving, but the blonde had also showed the white-haired youth just how much he had come to depend on Near for emotional support.

The younger boy couldn't help himself and smiled at the thought while Mello was pouring over the blue prints for the fifth time that hour, going over all the places where he had installed the C-4 to make sure they wouldn't be seen and that they would detonate when prompted.

When he had told Mello his plan was perfect, he had meant it; it would be so effective, there was no way Near wouldn't benefit exactly as he had planned. With the amount of time and planning that gone into the operation, the plan would achieve its end.

Near was anxious to finally reap his rewards, but he could wait: good things always came to those who did so, and until now, that premise had never failed to deliver for him.

Near went back to concentrating on some paperwork he had been working on, occasionally stealing a quick glance or two at Mello who looked determined to carry out the plan to a step above perfection.

(0o0)

"I'm going to be off duty this weekend, love." Light murmured into the ear of a sleepy Lawliet. The sleeping man smiled with his eyes closed and stretched languorously on the bed. He turned to face Light who was dressed up and ready to get to work.

"I know, Koi. I've been looking forward to it this whole week," Lawliet paused to smile some more and then continued, "three more days and we can do what we want..."

The sinful look that followed Lawliet's words made Light wish he could skip work that day. The way those obsidian orbs were glinting with burning lust was enough to steal Light's breath and pepper his cheeks with a crimson flush.

"Lawliet…" Light warned half-serious, "if you don't stop looking at me like that, the weekend will start now… and as much as I'd like that, I can't afford to go missing all of a sudden…" Light licked his lips and willed himself to breathe deeply. He really could not afford a morning quickie if he wanted to arrive to the office before the other investigators.

Pity. Lawliet looked damn good in naught but a crumpled bed sheet.

"Well, Koi… if you stand there tempting me to pull you into bed, I will and then the weekend will REALLY start. So get your lovely self to work before I change my mind to let you go and chain you to the bed."

Light shook his head amusedly and chuckled. He bent down to kiss Lawliet's cheek, but the ravenette turned his head purposely and their lips connected. Light laughed into the kiss and Lawliet deepened it at that opportunity.

Just as Light was settling into the kiss with gusto, Lawliet pushed him away and pushed him all the way to the front door.

"you're going to be late."

Light would have complained, but Lawliet was right. But he had to laugh when he noticed the motive behind Lawliet's insistence that he left for work.

Lawliet was hard as a rock and clearly fighting back the urge to lock him up inside the bedroom and drain him of his precious stamina.

The front door slammed in Light's face and he found himself facing the corridor. He laughed to himself. As he began to walk away from the suite and into the elevator, Light's laughter got louder and more hysterical.

Light Yagami had officially checked out, and Kira was now going to work in his stead.

(0o0)

"Mello, can I have a piece of your chocolate?" Near asked as he finished packing some toys into his suitcase that Rester had forgotten to pack.

The blonde in question looked up from the gameboy he was playing on, and looked back and forth between his chocolate bar and Near. A smirk crept onto his lips, and a sing-song whisper slid past his mouth sensually.

"Maybe…"

Mello powered off the gadget and threw it somewhere and rose from the floor where he had been sitting. He approached Near and bit off a piece of the chocolate and held it between his lips. Eyebrows arched and mouth pouting, the blonde touched the piece of chocolate to Near's lips, who gratefully took it and grazed against the blonde's lips.

The blonde's eyes were glued to the younger boy's mouth as Near worked his mouth around the piece of chocolate, caressing it with his tongue and prompting it to melt slowly.

Impulsively, Mello pushed Near back, arching the small body over the suitcase laying on top of the bed. With a swift motion of his head, the blonde swept his lips over Near's, kissing and lapping at the swollen mouth until the smaller boy couldn't breathe and the taste of chocolate was gone.

The snow-haired boy brought his hands to rest on Mello's shoulders and whispered sweetly against his mouth.

"We're going to get Aniki back, Mello. And we're going to catch Kira together."

Mello's eyes hardened at the words and pressed his body against Near's menacingly, making the smaller boy wince at being crushed by the hard body in front of him and the hard suitcase behind him.

"No, Near… I'm going to catch Kira…" Mello hissed at the younger boy a mere inch away from his face. A silent moment passed and Mello's face slackened and his body relaxed. The blonde's lips curved into a soft smile and his gloved hands took Near's and pulled the snowy-haired boy's arms over his head slowly.

"…but… _We_ are going to get Aniki back."

The kiss that followed Mello's declaration was powerful enough to make Near tremble and sigh. He even forgot for a moment that he was supposed to leave. It even made him want to stay.

But Rester's approaching footsteps reminded him of his imminent departure. Near regretfully broke away and moaned a little between breaths.

Near smiled at Mello, reclaimed his hands and mouthed 'Rester' silently to alert Mello of the approaching individual. Mello let him go and straightened the boy's white shirt that had become askew during the short encounter.

"Near, we will be departing soon. " The deep gruff voice of the Commander made itself heard and both youths turned to look at the tall blonde man standing at the threshold of Near's room. Near nodded and asked Rester to give him a few minutes alone with Mello. The commander acceded and took Near's suitcase with him.

When they were alone again, Mello was serious and whispered to Near

"Promise you'll come back soon… I need you here… to help me with Aniki. He'll be happy to see us both working together." The blonde beat himself up mentally for the gap between words that made him sound as needy as he felt.

"Don't worry, Mello. I will be back as soon as I can and I will celebrate your triumph with you. I will be calling you often to get the low down on the plan's status…" Mello interrupted Near mid-sentence

"Only to check on the plan?" Mello pouted adorably, which was strange for tough, manly Mello.

Near chuckled and ran his fingers through Mello's spun gold locks

"Of course not, I'll be calling to check on you too…" Near paused briefly and his features sobered up.

"I'm going to miss you, Mel."

Mello looked positively shocked with Near's statement, but he felt compelled to return the favor.

"I'm gonna miss you too, Near. I've gotten so used to having you around…" Near turned away from Mello and opened his closet as if looking for something. Mello watched him with one hand in his pocket looking for something as well.

The White-haired youth returned with a large bottle of expensive vodka which happened to be Mello's favorite brand.

"This is for you to enjoy while I'm gone. A little token for you to remember me by until I return." Near pushed the bottle into Mello's arms and the blonde gaped at the smaller boy.

"This… is my favorite brand…" the blonde babbled to himself as if he couldn't believe it.

"I know. I saw you drinking once, back at Wammy's."

"And you remembered that?" Mello couldn't believe Near still remembered something that had happened back when Mello was eleven and had just discovered alcohol and guns. The fact that Near could remember such insignificant things made his heart jump for some reason.

After the boy had presented with such a nice present, he would feel terrible if he didn't give Near a little token as well. He found just what he needed in his pocket.

It was a silver bullet engraved with rose patterns. Mello took Near's small hand and pressed the bullet into his palm and closing the hand over it. He held the boy's fisted hand and looked him in the eye.

"This isn't much, but I think it'll work as your token to remember me by until you come back." Near opened his palm and saw the beautiful bullet resting on his palm. The design was magnificent and the shiny silver glinted wickedly with the reflection of the overhead lights.

"It's beautiful, Mello. Thank you." Near smiled at Mello once more. The small boy glanced at the wall clock and saw what time it was.

"I have to go now, Mello. Good luck and take care of yourself." Near hugged the blonde softly, but the blonde did not returned the gentle gesture. Instead, his arms closed in on Near and pressed him roughly against the leather-clad contours of Mello's chest.

"Come back soon, Near." Was all that Mello said as he held on to the smaller boy with brutal force.

"I plan on it." Near smiled maliciously. He slipped away from Mello's embrace and walked out of the room, leaving Mello behind.

(0o0)

Once again, like every night, Light found himself staring at the door of his suite with Lawliet standing at the other side, waiting for him to knock.

It was quite late at night and Light was exhausted, but the anticipation that had been building in him for the past two days had reached his peak. The weekend was finally here and he could sit back and enjoy a couple of days surrounded by nothing but Lawliet.

Light knew Lawliet was just as excited about the days off as he was, but his self-control went to hell all of a sudden and he opened the door quickly. He slammed the door behind him and kicked off his shoes in a hurry and ran to the living room couch.

Sprawled on the couch was Lawliet, beaming and calling out a warm welcome. Light dropped his briefcase and jumped on the couch, pouncing playfully on Lawliet, showering him with kisses. Lawliet wailed in amusement as Light tickled, nuzzled and blew raspberries everywhere he could on Lawliet's body and the ravenette squirmed and shook with laughter at the onslaught of affection.

"Stop! Stop, Koi! It tickles!" Lawliet gasped as Light's nimble fingers travelled over his ribs and underarms. Light was laughing even harder watching Lawliet plead with him.

"S-Stop… or dinner will get cooold!!! Ah, stop it!" Lawliet managed to push Light off him and pulled himself to his feet, running in the direction of the kitchen before Light had time to catch him and subdue him again.

Light shed his blazer carelessly and ran after Lawliet as he loosened his tie. When Light arrived at the kitchen, he saw the dinner table set up immaculately and Lawliet perched atop the refrigerator, seeking shelter from Light's merciless tickling.

The brunette took a moment to assimilate the elaborate dinner set-up that Lawliet had going on. Gleaming crystal glasses, chilled wine, and an arrange of exquisite foods prepared by Lawliet himself graced the table. The elegance with which the table had been set up wasn't lost on Light in the least bit. Lawliet's freakish attention to detail had awed him once again.

Dinner looked great in all the sense of the expression. And Lawliet hanging off the top of the refrigerator like a scared monkey was nothing short of hilarious.

"Get down from there, Lawliet. I promise not to tickle you anymore."

Lawliet pouted from his vantage point and whined childishly

"What about the raspberries and the poking?

"Fine, no raspberries… as for poking, I'll only do it if you let me…" Light's smile turned into a lewd smirk and Lawliet shook his head, giggling.

"Okay, but you have to help me, Koi. I don't know how to get down from here…" Lawliet blushed and Light was laughing once again. The brunette man walked over to the fridge and extended his arms to Lawliet. The slim ravenette lowered himself onto those waiting arms and Light pulled him toward the safety of the ground.

Both men leaned into the embrace for a few seconds before the raven haired man pulled away and shoved Light into the nearest chair, happily chatting about the daily specials. Light chatted amicably with the other man as he began to put a bit of everything on his plate.

(0o0)

"Where to, Near?" Rester drove on, wondering why Near had so suddenly staged leaving the country. It was not in his power to question the boy's motives, so he restricted himself to doing as he was told.

"I have reservations at the Palace Hotel. We will be staying there for the night and tomorrow. You are not to contact the other agents or Mello because they are under the impression that we are out of the country. I will not need you tomorrow, so you can have the day off. Discreetly, of course…" Near droned on tonelessly from the back seat of the car. He was playing with a pair of Transformers, not even bothering to note Rester's reaction; not that there was any no to note.

Rester silently drove on and got Near and himself settled into the hotel.

Once already installed into his rooms, Near started a timer he had brought along with him and prepared himself for the final countdown to his victory.

Just before he went to bed for the night, Near called Mello and reassured the older blonde that his plan would turn out well.

What Mello had failed to notice was the slight signs of tampering on that bottle of vodka. There was enough Benadryl dissolved in other substances to assure that Mello slept in late and missed the crucial moment that could make or break his brilliant plan. The drugs would keep Mello asleep long enough for Light and L to ritualistically wake up and swap clothing like they always did every Saturday that Light wasn't working. Both men had the strange custom of role playing as the other on Saturdays and acting their parts so well that only Near could notice the difference between one and the other.

Yes, Mello would miss that small part and as a side effect of the drugs and the vodka, his vision would be rather blurry for a while and thus it would be difficult for the blonde to notice any minimum difference that might crop up from the surveillance.

Conveniently enough, the volume of the portable surveillance monitor would be muted on the off chance of someone overhearing something confidential as well as for the sake of not attracting unwanted attention. Mello would be at a public place and thus that 'precaution' had been taken.

And if Near was right, there would not be any way for Mello to notice the changes. Knowing Mello, he wouldn't.

(0o0)

After speaking to Near on the phone, Mello cracked open his new bottle of vodka and made it his priority to empty before the night was out. The hangover would be hell come morning, but he was always quick to bounce back. Besides, he needed to loosen up and forget about things for a little while before he executed his Master plan.

Shortly after finishing the bottle, Mello felt a shrouding heaviness come over him and he drifted off into a state of drunken sleep.

* * *

Author's Note: Hey, guys! Sorry for the massive delay. I've been lazy and busy - that's my excuse. Anyway, I have decided to extend this for one more chapter, so there will be five chapters, I believe... unless I decide otherwise, of course.

So, yeah... Mello and Near together are sexier than ever - and yes, I did sort of made them use Light's "We'll catch Kira together!" catchphrase because it was too good to pass up. And the vodka and the chocolate... well, let's just say that Near can bribe like no one's business. Lol.

As for Light and Lawliet, I think they're so cute and fluffy together. Especially since Lawliet turned out to be the happy, wifey uke of the relationship that waits around for Light like a puppy. I mean, it's hella OOC for the boys, but it works here because A) It's AU, and B) It's just cute. And who doesn't wany to see L in an apron and stuff?

And yeah, Rester's a pawn, much like everyone who knows Near. Amd speak of the devil, isn't he an evil little fucker??? Benadryl and Vodka? WTF? And blissful little Mello doesn't notice a goddamn thing. Poor Mello.

Anyway, even if this chapter seemed like a filler, I had to set up everything in a certain way... not to mention that Chip and Yours Truly are competing to see who can complete their masterpiece faster ( by masterpiece I mean this story and Chip's third chapter of Blood Bonds). Yes, she's stuck on the lemon and that's why she won't update. I'm trying to coerce her into writing it... let's see if racing her works.

Sorry, Chip -- now all FF . net knows your excuse, so you have nowhere to HYDE. Lol. Write the damn lemon, damnit! We all want Blood Bonds!

Okay, enough mobbing my best friend. Back to this story... I hope y'all enjoyed this transition chapter and brace yourselves for the real deal on the next two chapters.

So, R&R... and when in doubt, C-4. Remember that, kiddies.

See you at 4.

-Das Dale.


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